


i can hear a symphony, a perfect crystal melody

by writtenndust



Series: Amelia Song [2]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-28
Updated: 2012-06-28
Packaged: 2017-11-08 18:33:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/446216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writtenndust/pseuds/writtenndust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Amelia 100+) Her whole body felt like it was about to explode when all of a sudden, her visitor appeared from around the corner of her cell and her brain all but short-circuited. It wasn’t him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i can hear a symphony, a perfect crystal melody

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of my non-linear Amelia Song series. Stories based on the life of River and the Doctor's daughter, Amelia Song.

River sat up on her cot as she heard the tell-tale sign of his arrival. That sound that only he could produce sent shivers down her spine; the only sound that pushed her to the edge of her seat in anticipation. She smiled, despite herself, and she could feel that warm fluttering of butterflies in her stomach as she heard footsteps coming down the cold concrete corridor.

Her lips went dry and her palms went so suddenly damp that she had to brush them against the legs of her pants in nervous excitement. Her whole body felt like it was about to explode when all of a sudden, her visitor appeared from around the corner of her cell and her brain all but short-circuited.

It wasn’t him.

She swallowed the lump in her throat; taking a step back as Amelia rested her hands on the cold metal bars. “Hello, River.” She whispered and River twitched; still not entirely used to hearing that name in reference to her. Ever since the day she’d met him, she’d thought of herself as River; but she still wasn’t quite used to hearing it out loud.

She spent so many long hours and days alone, she wasn’t really surprised.

“Hello.” She answered and gestured to the corridor. The girl smiled, dipping her head with a laugh. “He’s visiting you, actually; another time and place.” She chuckled. “I thought I’d come say hello.”

“I worked out who you are, you know.”

“I thought you might.”

“Should you even be here? Is that smart?”

Amelia smiled. “I can’t cross my own timeline this far back, if that’s what you mean.”

“But, what about spoilers? Just the fact that you exist; isn’t that a rather large spoiler?”

Amelia chuckled. “You’re smart River; and I’m your daughter. I think we’ll be fine for spoilers.”

River fidgeted with the hem of her tank top like the little girl that was still trapped inside her head with Madame Kovarian whispering torturous words in her ears. Amelia’s eyes softened watching her; seeing the girl she’d never believed her mother to be. She was so young, so naive; so unstable still. But she was her mother and through the nervous twitch in River’s eye, deep down she could see the woman that used to kiss her better when she scraped her knee or sing lullabies in a throaty Gallifreyan alto when she couldn’t sleep.

“What are you doing here?” River’s voice was hesitant and Amelia grinned.

“I thought we might try out an adventure.”

River’s eyes widened and Amelia could see a familiar sparkle. It was the sparkle that always told her to hold out her hand and run. It was the sparkle that told her father that kissing her senseless when Cybermen were attacking, wasn’t the most ridiculous idea he’d ever heard. It was the sparkle so characteristically River Song that she felt her heart hammer in her chest. 

This was her mother; right at the beginning of it all.

“An adventure,” She breathed, stepping up to the bars. “To where? When?”

“I thought we could start small? Maybe Earth, some time in history. You pick.”

Amelia saw River nibble on her lip in concentration and used the brief moment to glance around the small cell. It was sparsely decorated with a rickety cot and a chair by the far wall. There was a nearly empty bookshelf and a lamp with a broken shade resting on the floor in the corner. She could hear the rain outside; hammering against the windows and the moonlight illuminated the raindrops, casting a pattern across the floor. It was cold and damp and she hated it, but she noticed the shiny new TARDIS-blue journal resting on River’s pillow and knew that one day, it would look very different.

“Can we go to a fair? I’ve never seen a fair. The Doctor took me to see the stars at Calderon Beta, and it shone like a fair, but it wasn’t and otherwise the planet was fairly boring and surrounded by sea. I’d love to see a fair. Have you been to a fair before?”

“Sure, we can go to a fair. And yes, you and Father took me to one for my eighty-seventh birthday.” Amelia laughed heartily because this was the part of her mother that had never had the chance to be a little girl and it made her so happy to see it firsthand. This was the woman her Grandad had told her danced through the snow in Victorian ice-skates. The woman that her Grandmother told her had thrown water-balloons at her father from the highest point in the TARDIS control room and then disappeared into the bowels of the ship, giggling like mad. This was the woman her father had expressly told her to stay away from.

But she couldn’t.

“How old are you?” River questioned as she stepped out of the cell.

Amelia smirked. “Spoilers.”

“We’re quite the paradox, aren’t we?”

“Yes,” Amelia held out her hand for River and she took it; biting her lip because she knew the Doctor would have something to say about all this. “But doesn’t that make us so much more interesting?” Amelia grinned, tugging on her hand and pulling her toward the TARDIS.

River felt the hum of the ship as she moved closer and the warmth of her great mother wrapped her in her arms as she stepped inside. She could feel voices in her mind; no longer Kovarian but soft, kind voices that filled her senses with heat and light. She couldn’t help but smile at the feel of it; the welcome the TARDIS gave her as soon as she stepped through the doors. It was as blissful a feeling as one of Amy’s hugs or Rory’s promises whispered in her ear. It was the love of a parent, pouring through her.

She breathed out audibly as Amelia released her hand and the girl turned around with a bright smile. “She loves you.” Amelia whispered, noting how River’s eyes had closed. “I suppose you’re still not used to that.”

“How could anyone ever get used to this? It’s beautiful.” 

“That’s true. Now,” Amelia danced up to the console, spinning around much the way the Doctor did and River followed her up the steps, watching as she flipped switches and turned dials, wondering if it was she or the Doctor that had taught her to fly the TARDIS. “How about we see how they did Belgian Waffles in fifteen-forty-one and then we can try our hand at a Ferris Wheel.”

“Sounds perfect!” River clapped, bouncing up and down on the spot.

Amelia flipped a few more switches before grabbing River’s hand and bounding toward the stairs. “Better get dressed for the part.” She beamed and River laughed. Amelia stopped suddenly and turned to her, grinning. “But, if anyone asks you if you want to visit the King, run.” She bopped River on the nose. “Don’t think Dad will take too kindly if Henry steals his wife.”

“So we are going to be married.” River beamed and Amelia took a deep breath but paused, thinking.

“Ah, spoilers?”

“Does it really matter, considering you’re here?”

They both laughed. “No, I suppose not. So-” Amelia dragged her off again towards the wardrobe. “Uncomfortable corsets and delicious waffles, here we come!”

The End.


End file.
